Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-17

quietly complimented me, and added
that we should have no trouble. did not
tell him that had been unjustly SEN
fenced, but replied that should be glad
TO learn the trade, and that purposed
being diligent and faithful. Nothing
further was said to me by any of the Off
GERS for week. At the end of that time
break was made by two Of the prison
ers in my corridor. In this prison there
were four corridors, each with a double
tier of cells, and each corridor holding
100 prisoners. One of the men worked
in the shoe department and the other in
the trip hammer shop. They had made a
false key and provided themselves with
rope, and they came within an ace of
getting clear. 1t was about the time the
inspectors were to make their semi
annual inspection, and this bold stroke
for liberty enraged the Warden. As l
told you, only two men made the
attempt. When the rest of us marched
in to supper, and from thence to our cells,
these two men secreted themselves in the
yard. With their key they opened the
door of store house, and from its roof
they calculated on throwing their rope
over the wall. That they were not
missed at the supper table was piece of
gross carelessness on the part of the
guards, but their absence was not de-
tected until we marched to our cells.
Then great hue and cry was raised, and
in the course of half an hour they were
found and brought in. The law of the
State forbids corporal punishment, ex-
cept the convict refuses to obey the rules
or strikes an officer. The only punish
ment for attempted escape is forfeiture
of ''good time" The Warden took it
into his head that a general revolt was
imminent, or that there was a con-
spiracy, and all that night our corridor
was kept in an uproar.
Prisoners conspire when there is to be
a revolt, because they must have the
strength, but it is very rare that aplan or
plot to escape includes more than two
men. Ninety-fve per cent. of the es-
capes include only one convict. Sc
crecy is the thing desired, and few con-
victs trust each other. Common sense
would have Taught the Warden that only
the two men were in the plan to escape,
but he insisted on pulling different men
from their cells and questioning and
abusing them. An old man, who occu-
pied the cell on my right, was taken out
and questioned. Heanswered truly that
he had no knowledge, but the Warden
ordered him lashed up and whipped.
The man in the fourth cell below was
then taken out. He denied all knowl-
edge, and was given dozen lashes.
| Three others were then taken out and
questioned, and their "good time" can
celled because they would not Gown up"
Then came my turn. When I was brought
befoore the Warden he shouted:
"Ah! you pale-faced horse stealer, you
know all abont this"
~ beg your paedon, sir, but l was
never within twenty feet of either of
the men to my knowledge"
"Don't lie to me, you whelp Who
made that key!"
81 haven't the faintest knowledge,
sir"
$50 you won't tell9 Well see about
that. Bring him down to the parlor."
The parlor meant the torture room.
I made no protest until they were pro-
ceeding to tie me up. Then said:
''Mr. Warden, know nothing what
ever of either of the men or their plan to
escape. If you strike me blow, | will
have the case Investigated by the inspec-
tors if it costs me my life."
s'What! What's thatr'
I repeated my words. He drew off as
if to strike me with his fist, but the Doe
tor called him aside, and they held a
whispered consultation, after which |
was released and sent to my cell. AS
left the room the Warden growled:
"You just wait, young man! Pll have
it out of you yet"
was not pursued with any more bit
terness than many others. The Warden
seemed to take his like or dislike to a
prisoner at first sight, and nothing after
that would change his policy. The par
tiality was shown all through the place,
and nothing is SO demoralizing to good
discipline as this. Men who could neither
read nor write nor make figure were
: placed in charge of store and stock
| rooms. Murderers and burglars were
given ''soft snaps in the kitchen, and
one-year- sent up for their. first
offence, were worked like slaves, and the
: bitterness of their feelings hundred
times intensified. 1t il but natural that
| man deprived of his liberty will seek
! to regain it. Prison escapes, therefore
depend only upon opportunities. How
7 ever, whenever YOU read of rebellion IL
: prison you can safely sympathize will
t the prisoners 1t is prison abuses which
: drive convicts to revolt. The man SEN
s to prison for crime is still under th'
e influence of the law. Prison rules or,
e his laws. There is a rule which say
t that prisoners are to be fed on WHOLESOME
t food, and many of the articles of diet ar
: specified. He is to have fresh meat 81
+ often. The provisions are to be substan
!, tial and good. The steward and wardel
j can make 'divvy" by purchasing cheal
a and unwholesome provisions, and opin
9 that there are few prisons in this countr
|. where this swindling of convicts is no
! practiced to a greater or less extent.
!. A revolt took place in our prison 81
{ weeks after entered it. Ibid not knoN
4 what the fare should be. l knew tina
i. the provisions were very bad, the mea
k being very poor and nearly alway
Y tainted, and the vegetables hardly fit fo
y cattle, but supposed that that was q
!, good as was allowed us. The defraudin
k Of the prisoners began about a mont
h before my arrival. Previous to that, fo
y year or more, there had been no caus
for complaint. On the day the inspector